At Binmin, we know that the Christian life can be hard to figure out. This resource ministry exists to assist young adult Christians in developing a more meaningful and robust spiritual life.
The Stats
According to researcher George Barna, the actual number of young adult Jesus followers living a Christian worldview is two percent! This lack of commitment is discouraging.
An overwhelming number of men and women who say that they are Jesus followers:
- Don’t know how to actually follow Jesus
- Or have chosen not to pursue living like Jesus
What caused this uncoupling between practice and profession? It may come from stressing evangelism too much. While neglecting to expose young Christians to the vast treasury of information for a robust faith (a big vision of discipleship in our spiritual lives).
7 Areas of Spiritual Life
Binmin provides essential resources in seven areas of the spiritual life:
- Bible Knowledge
- Spiritual Disciplines
- Discipleship
- Soul Care
- Apologetics
- Evangelism
- Cultural Engagement
Each area covers various topics to deepen your fellowship with God and enhance your Christian experience. Here’s a quick summary of how each area helps us achieve the next steps in our spiritual lives.
1. Bible Knowledge
Reading and studying the Bible in its proper context is essential for learning who God is and what he expects of his children. The Bible contains everything you need to live a godly and contented life (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and it protects us from wrong understandings of God and the world as well as the pains and defeats of our personal sin.
The Bible is God's Word to human beings. It’s not one book but a library of sixty-six books, two “testaments” written by forty different authors in three languages, and written on three different continents over 1,500 years.
Despite the Bible's diversity, it’s impossible to ignore the miraculous unity found within its pages with Jesus at the center. Christ is predicted in the Old Testament and shows up for the world in the New Testament. The Bible's miraculous unity rests on its divine Author, who inspired each of the individual authors.
Joining a local church that believes and teaches the Bible and finding a small group or Bible study will reinforce your growth in this area.
2. Spiritual Disciplines
If Bible knowledge provides the foundation for understanding God, then spiritual disciplines help you develop and enjoy a more intimate relationship with God
Spiritual disciplines are Bible-prescribed devotional and physical practices. These exercises help us depend on the Holy Spirit and God's Word to develop our spiritual maturity. They become habits that transform our thoughts, speech, and behavior.
Plus, these disciplines keep us from the pull of our own selfish hearts, conformity to the worst of the world, and from spiritual forces of darkness (a.ka. the “flesh,” Rom. 6:12; the “world,” James 4:4; and the devil, 1 Pet. 5:8).
What are some of these disciplines?
- Devotional Bible reading with meditation on God's Word (Ps. 119:15-16)
- Prayer (1 Thess. 5:17)
- Worship (Ps. 119:97-98)
- Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)
- Persevering through challenges (Rom. 5:3-4)
These practices take time and require concerted dedication, self-discipline, and effort (1 Tim. 4:7). But it’s never too late to start.
3. Discipleship
Being a “disciple” means following Jesus. It means that if you are a Christian, Jesus calls you to:
- Become more like him (see Rom. 8:28-29)
- By obeying his teaching and lifestyle found in the Bible (see John 14:21)
Being a member of a church exposes you to other Christians. More experienced believers within the congregation can mentor (1 Cor 11:1), encourage, and keep you accountable in your faith (1 Thess. 5:11).
Following Jesus in discipleship with others brings has huge benefits: blessings (John 13:17), peace (John 14:27), happiness (Ps. 1:1), contentment (1 Tim. 6:6), and joy (Acts 13:52).
4. Soul Care
Soul care seeks to maintain healthy souls and heal wounded ones. Humans have a physical body and an immaterial soul (see Gen. 2:7). Your soul is your "spiritual" self that defines what you think about, how you feel, and what you choose to do, impacting your relationships with God and with others.
Over time and with proper maintenance, healthy souls develop supernatural love and virtue (a.k.a. the "fruit of the Spirit,” Gal. 5:22-23). But what do we do about an unhealthy soul?
Unhealthy souls result from being overwhelmed by the constant attack of the surrounding culture, our flesh, and Satan. And Christians can counsel hurting brothers and sisters. Through walking with them, equipping them with Biblical truth, and encouraging them to choose to trust in Christ and his Word rather than being led only by their emotions.
5. Pre-Evangelism
Pre-evangelism (or apologetics) is defending Christianity against criticisms and providing reasons to believe in the one true faith.
God has commanded every Christian to be involved in this by using our reason (1 Pet. 3:15) to present the "clear" (Rom. 1:20) and "infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3) of Christianity. This means that we can and should think hard about our faith and how it’s truth shines through even hard questions.
Pre-evangelism helps shape your surrounding culture with intelligent and attractive answers to real problems from Scripture and strengthens our faith and confidence in the truthfulness of Christianity.
6. Evangelism
Evangelismtells non-Christians about the “gospel” or good news of Jesus.
Although the gospel is specifically about Jesus’ death and resurrection for sinners, the gospel also is the overall message of the whole Bible:
- How Adam and Eve rebelled against God (Gen. 2) and sin spread to all humans (Rom. 5:12)
- That sin has created a gulf between God and humans that no one can ever cross on our own by just doing good works (Rom. 3:20)
- But God sent Jesus to earth to make you his own (John 3:16), and through turning away from your sin and placing your faith in Christ, salvation is yours (Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:13)
7. Cultural Engagement
Finally, cultural engagement refers to Christians giving, creating, and speaking to influence the world around us for good and for God's glory.
There are at least seven "streams" of cultural engagement:
- Family
- Church
- Workplace
- Community
- Government
- Education
- The Arts
Wherever your sphere of influence extends, you should seek to love and worship God above all else. While church and biological families take precedent, your calling and opportunities within the public arena is essential.
It can be intimidating to be known as a Christian within secular culture. But it is also an opportunity for lifestyle evangelism. Seek out sincere and respectful friendships with outsiders who have never met a genuine believer who lives out their Christian worldview (see 1 John 3:18).
Everyone’s Next Step
New and young adult Christians usually face challenges in finding their next steps in their spiritual life. Binmin offers resources, advice, and counsel in seven different areas of the Christian faith. So that if you are a Christian, you can investigate all the areas, especially unfamiliar areas, to find where God wants you to take your next step.
And if you are not a Christian, specifically explore the areas of pre-evangelism and evangelism. These topics will give you reasons to believe, what it looks like to become a Christian and whether that is your next step.
